Loving You
by tsukasa-girl83
Summary: Neji/Kag Just when she thought her life couldn't get any worse, she met him. He was her voice of reason, and she balanced him out. Rated for future lemony goodness.


Disclaimer: I have no ownership to Naruto or Inuyasha. I do however hold claim to my ideas, as they are all mine.

Prologue

In his office in Hokage tower, eyes closed, all Sarutobi Hiruzen, third Hokage of Konohagakure could hear in the distance was the echo of all the inhabitants of its people. He's eyes though, were on Konoha's number one knuckle-head ninja and what seemed to be his first friend, a smile on his face. "Okay, Naruto! Are you ready?!" a young girl about 8 years old yells.

"Yea! I just finished! Let's hurry up before anyone notices that we did anything!" Naruto responds, lighting a string before running away, the young girl not far behind.

"What are those two up to now?" Sarutobi asked, more to himself them to the ANBU black ops waiting to be briefed on the upcoming mission. Taking no more notice to what Naruto and his friend were doing, and why he was there rather at academy like he should, he turned back toward the ANBU. Glancing down, he grabbed hold of the file that was on his desk, and handed it the ANBU. "This is your next mission. You and your team are to safely escort Priestess Higurashi to the Village Hidden in the Mist and back, so that she may help heal the wounded that have survived their most recent war. She has a young daughter that will be awaiting her return, so do be sure to bring her back with all possible haste."

"Excuse me for asking, Hokage, but this is a mission that requires such diligent attention? Surely there is something more important that ANBU Black Ops should be doing, aside for a babysitting escort service?" the ANBU asked.

Giving him a hard look, the Hokage replied, "As far as you are concerned, this is the most important mission. There are people looking for this woman and her abilities. Other than her daughter, she is of the Higurashi clan, the last of a long line of powerful priestess'. Despite the fact that her daughter Kagome is a prodigy, as of now, we cannot put her in the front lines, and the "Higurashi no Miko" is an asset we cannot afford to lose. Be cautious."

"Right!" the ANBU said finally, and quickly left the Hokage's office to inform the rest of his team of the most recent mission."

"So what's your name?" Naruto asked the girl while continuing to run.

"Kagome Higurashi" the girl answered. "You?"

"I'm Naruto, future Hokage." he answered. "Well, are you ready Kagome?" Naruto asks.

Nodding enthusiastically, "ONE!!!!" she starts

"TWO!" he continues

"Just what are you two up to?" Kimiko Higurashi asks her daughter and Naruto. Suddenly a loud noise can be heard from a not so long distance.

"Uh-oh! See ya later Kagome!" Naruto yells running away.

"Wait, Naruto!" Starting to chase after him, Kagome's stopped by her mother.

"Never mind that now Kagome, there's something that I need to talk to you about." Kimiko says, grabbing Kagome's hand, and beginning to drag her in the opposite direction Naruto took, toward their home.

"Mom! Why are you pulling so hard? Why are you in such a rush?! I was playing with Naruto!" Kagome yelled pulling away unsuccessfully, trying to understand why her mom was acting the way she was. She was always serious, that was true, and after all… who knew better than her what happened when the responsibilities of the clan were thrust upon you. How else would she have learned everything that she had as quickly as she had? But still, THIS was unusual even for her mother.

Kimiko stopped as they got inside their home. She then turned around, and then knelt on one knee to speak at Kagome's level. "Kagome, I need you to listen to me. This is very important." Kimiko said softly. Kagome was immediately on guard. She knew she wasn't going to like whatever it was that her mother was going to say. "First, I enrolled you in ninja academy. You finished your priestess training, and there is nothing more that I can teach you. The knowledge that you have is something that you must perfect for yourself, but there is still a lot in the world that you still need to learn. I think that you will be able to find wonderful ways to combine ninja training with what you already know to become a very formidable force."

"Mom, why are you…?"

"Kagome…" she paused. "I'm going to the Village Hidden in the Mist, to help in the recovery effort from their latest war. While I'm gone I need you to stay up on your studies, and make sure you eat healthy, and stay clean and…"

Kagome was speechless. She couldn't hear any more of what her mother was saying. She was leaving? But she was only 8 years old! Why should she have to take care of herself? She was being selfish. Why couldn't she have a mother that cared about HER wellbeing as much as everyone else's? Plus, she had heard about what was going on in the village she was going to. It was a dangerous mission that she was going on. She might not come back! She knew she couldn't say that though. There were people that were worse off than she was. Look at her new friend Naruto. It didn't seem like many people liked him. But if there were so many people that needed help here, why couldn't she stay and help Konoha? What could she possibly say to make her mother stay? Nothing, so she did the only thing she knew a good daughter should do. Putting a smile on her face she said "Don't worry mom! You and I both know I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Just be careful! I'll be sad if you don't come home. I don't want to not have a mom, and you're the only one I have."

Patting her daughters head, "You're a good girl. I'm lucky to have a daughter that is as understanding as you. I left you with food for dinner, it should last you a couple days and you know how to access our account should you need any money for food or anything. I also spoke to the Hokage about utilities, and it will be coming directly out of our account. There's plenty there, so don't ever worry about it running out. I also left you with directions to the academy, and plenty of ninja outfits in your closet to wear. Be sure to buy more should you outgrow it. Oh, and…"

"Mom!" Kagome interrupted. "Don't worry! I'm sure I'll figure everything out as I go. No worries. Just worry about getting home safe to me. Please don't give make me cry."

-2 months later-

"H-h-hurry up Kagome! We're going to be late if you don't hurry up!" a young Hinata yelled to a slow-walking Kagome.

Looking up suddenly, she hadn't realized she had gotten so far behind. "Sorry Hinata! No one ever said you had to pick me up. I don't mean to make you late. Sorry!"

"It's on the way anyway, and I enjoy walking with you to academy, even though you're going to graduate a year before me. So lucky! It's like you were born to be a ninja!" Hinata said.

"Yeah, I guess…" Kagome returned, "But I still have a LONG way to go before I graduate anyway, so don't even think about it."

"I know, but everyone acknowledges you for your talents, even Neji and Naruto. I wish people did that for me sometimes." Hinata said softly.

"Especially Naruto, huh?" Kagome said elbowing Hinata, making her blush. "Well if you want, we can practice after classes. You can come with me, because I have to buy some groceries for home, and after I drop them off we can practice in my dojo. You can even sleepover! It'll be fun, and it's not like you haven't before, so your father should be okay with it, right?!"

Laughing excitedly, Hinata answered "Are you sure it'll be okay? I would love to!"

Arriving at academy, they walked together into the room slightly late, but before Iruka-sensei came, getting odd looks from their fellow classmates. Just smiling at each other, they quickly and quietly went to their seats. Shortly after Iruka came, and class had begun.

"… Okay everyone, it's time for break. Please take your boxed-lunches and proceed outside for free-play." Iruka said at the end of the first half of his lecture.

"Ah! Finally!" Kiba said.

"Yeah!" Naruto replied, "I thought he would never stop talking. All this listening was making my brain hurt."

"What are you complaining for idiot? All you were doing was sleeping. You weren't even paying attention." Sasuke mocked.

"So true! Sakura answered, "Why do you even bother coming to class Naruto! Sasuke is so cool! Sasuke, do you want to eat lunch together?" but Sasuke wasn't listening, because a new girl entered the conversation.

"You guys! Leave Naruto alone. He does his best, so stop teasing him Sasuke! Your just being mean." Kagome yelled. "What makes you any better? All you do all day is act like you know everything, and then you get upset and refuse to do a technique so you don't look bad in front of people when you can't do it."

Snickering in the background while Sasuke has a surprised look on his face that someone actually talked back to him, he says "Don't even worry about it 'Gome. Did you make me a boxed lunch again today?"

"Of course I did! I make you one every day." She answered smiling. "Hinata is even going to eat with us today, right Hinata?" Kagome asked while walking away. Sasuke looked agitated, but other than that said nothing, and turned around to start practicing until break was over.

Just as Hinata, Naruto and Kagome sat down to start eating, to Jounin level shinobi came and spoke quietly to Iruka, but of course, being a shinobi village, it happened often enough for no one to take notice.

"Kagome!" Iruka suddenly called out, and she immediately looked up, mid-bite, curious. "The Hokage would like to speak to you right away." As soon as she heard the word Hokage, the chopsticks she had been holding fell out of her hands, and she ran to the Jounin's.

"Well hurry up and take me then! You have news about my mother, right?" She asked. Slowly they nodded, and she turned back to Naruto and Hinata. "Hinata, you could grab my stuff for me and take it to my house if I don't come back by the end of classes please?" Hinata nodded, though she wished she knew what was going on. "Enjoy your food, and I'll see you both soon." She turned Naruto and said "I worked really hard on lunch today, so you better eat everything!" and then she went with the two Jounin to speak to the Hokage.

Walking into Hokage tower, and leaving the two Jounin to do whatever else it was that they had to do, Kagome quickly ran up the stairs, and straight to the Hokage's office. Stopping just inches from the door she knocked quickly, and entered silently. She looked around, and didn't see anything out of place, other than a few small piles of paper scattered throughout the Hokage's desk. Without stopping to worry about politeness, she quickly yelled out "I heard you had news about my mother!"

Looking up with sad eyes, clearly aged my both time and weariness he said the one thing that Kagome didn't want to hear. "I'm sorry…" and then she didn't hear anymore. And then the tears started coming. The tears she promised she would never shed throughout her training as a priestess, they wouldn't stop, and with it, her energy was flowing with it, wrapping her in a cocoon of pure power. Looking up suddenly the tears stopped, and with it so did time, or so it seemed. And then the light in her eyes disappears for a moment, as if her mind stopped processing, but as soon as the Hokage blinked it was gone. Slowly she bowed to the Hokage, thanking him for the information, and asking if she could be excused to go back to class. Though he explained that she could spend the rest of the day at home, to process the information she just received, she said that she would rather have the distraction of school, so that her mind didn't completely shut down, and the Hokage agreed.

Walking back to the academy, she knew nothing would change. No matter what happened, her mom wouldn't be there when she got home, the only difference was now she knew what her mom was doing and why she didn't answer her messages. Her mother had an excuse now for not sending any letters to her only daughter. There would be no funeral to attend, as there was no body to bury, and time would go on.

A/N: This is just something I'm experimenting with. I'm not really sure where it's going, but please let me know if you think I should continue this story or not. ^-^


End file.
